Black pole barn roof

[Engine Mike]

I have just about finished my choices for my new 40 x 60 pole barn in Northern Michigan. Down to picking colors. I have picked the side color as Charcoal Gray and White trim. I would like to make the roof black but something inside of me is saying maybe there are functional issues with a black roof. Does anyone know if there are issues with a black roof on a pole barn?

 

[number two]

I don't recall ever seeing a pole barn with black steel,especially on the roof.
I'm thinking the black color would absorb much more heat in the summer,which in turn would cause more expansion/contraction which may stress the sealing ability of the rubber-headed screws that attach the steel to the roof purlins.
I have two pole barns about 25 years old with no roof leaks(knock wood)using the older nails with the rubber washer under the head.
Both have white roof steel;even on a hot day,I can gear creaking and groaning.
Hope this opinion helps!

 

[soilsailor]

I concur with #2, black is going to absorb a lot of heat in the summer.

I am finishing up a 40'x60' gray with white trim now. I went with polar white for the roof.

 

[ray66v]

I have seen the temperature difference inside hangars by painting a red roof white, it was noticeable.

Black would be substantially warmer.

It is northern Michigan. Still, maybe in Alaska, I would do it.

 

[TexasBoy]

White roof every time !

 

[oosik]

There were not a lot of pole barns in Alaska. Pole barn in AK is like a kilt in Siberia. There were barns, especially in the Matanuska valley, but as I remember, they all had light colored or galvy roofs. Actually, the "darkest" barns around here are the old German barns made of brick with shingle roofs.

 

[Deano]

I have a dark red (maroon) roof on my stable and hay barn. No issues. It would look nice!!

 

[rswyan]

I have a dark red (maroon) roof on my stable and hay barn.

I have one on my polebarn as well.

No issues. It would look nice!!

Aside from all the creaking and noises (probably from thermal expansion) on a hot sunny day, none here either.

 

[DennisArrow]

For me and MANY others here in N.W. Georgia, the use of chocolate/dark brown is used on homes and barns/sheds when applying new metal roofing. One of my barns is going on ten years now with zero problems............I would think that you would want all the solar gain in the winter you could get........God bless.....Dennis

 

[Code54]

Myself and my neighbor both have black metal roofs on our pole barns and neither of us have had any problems over the years.

 

[AStanton]

Mike,
I would advise you, if you are using asphalt shingles and have problems with algae growth, especially on north side, to look at zinc strips. These strips are placed near the peak of the roof and rain interacts with them to made an acid rain which kills the algae. Home Cheapo around here sells them in 50-ft rolls for about $30.
Good luck.

 

[oosik]

Had my house reshingled about eight years ago. The shingles have copper granules in the mix to eliminate moss growth. So far this has completely eliminated moss.

 

[AStanton]

I re-roofed the shed at my church last fall and put the zinc strip on the eastside of the shed. On this side there wasn't much sunlight due to trees. I shot a couple of pics to show what the strips look like. I understand that some shingles are impregnated with the copper. However, for me, I always like a backup to the backup.

 

[Larro Darro]

Here in Florida you want to go with as light color as possible for a roof. Not sure what your summers are like up there, but a black roof here would turn your barn into an oven. But I made mine green to match the roof on the house. We chose form over function. I've had one small leak, but it was more to do with the crew who put the barn up than roof color.

By the way, roofs fade fast down here. We added on to the house and the pole barn about 5 years after they were built. The contrast is pretty marked. I'm waiting for the new roofs to fade, then I'll paint them.

Larro

 

[Modn]

Main reason darker roofs weren't offered some time ago is they had issues with bad fade rates. Today the paint if far superior to what it was. ****, some manufacturers even offer the black and all dark colors that meet or exceed energy star steep slope requirements. Fade rates today are unbelievable to what they were. As far as white reflecting versus black absorbing.....not as huge a difference as some suggest. Put the black on, it will look great!!